


The one with Lughnasadh

by akachankami



Series: Shippers Anonymous [2]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, this was so... unplanned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 19:46:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11698650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akachankami/pseuds/akachankami
Summary: Prompt:Charles set aside the book of ancient Scottish history he had been reading and glanced at his calendar. Just two more days to prepare his surprise in accordance with the gaelic Druid calendar. Lughnasadh, the 1st of August, the first harvest festival to mark the beginning of fall. Unbeknownst to her, he has already adjusted her schedules and rotas so that she will have the evening off as well as a half day the following morning.





	The one with Lughnasadh

Two days of impatient wait, of ambush behind doors to listen, undetected, to Mrs Pattmore delivering lines as they rehearsed the previous week, two nights of little sleep, too anxious to close his eyes, two days and two nights of reviewing every part of the plan in fear something might go wrong and end up being a failure…

It all boiled down to her walking through the door with the afternoon tea and see him with the ring in his hands and he was already stuttering something when in an attempt to hide it behind his back he hit the tray and in what he will forever relive in his mind in slow motion the tea set crashed on the floor of his pantry, partially saved by the carpet.

He found himself kneeling on the floor, while everyone gathered at the door and Elsie stood wide eyed at the center of the room.

"Yes," she said.

And he looked up to see the ring in his hand held up high in front of him not quite as planned.

Not at all as planned as it turned out, as he explained years later by the fire to a young George Crawley: "At the fair that night I was going to present her with a ring I found at the village antique shop after I traced her family tree back to the gods of the sun. It held a beautiful crest…"

"But not mine," she added giggling and offering a bisquit to the child.

"I made a mistake somewhere in VII century and gave her a druid ancestor." he winked back.

"But you married her anyway," said little George frowning.

"Of course I did! That may not have been my intention to propose, certainely not like that, and after discovering she was a goddess," at which Elsie rolled her eyes "but I know when to take a chance!"


End file.
